


Memories of Us

by sapphosoup



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter Needs a Hug, Hogwarts, James Potter and Lily Evans Potter's Wedding, Letters, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Memories, Nostalgia, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Pensieves (Harry Potter), Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Quidditch, Self-Indulgent, The Prank, accidentally had jily happen in sixth year but i don't want to rewrite that whole scene, god i love these boys so much, is that ooc for him? idc, mainly, remus is self aware, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphosoup/pseuds/sapphosoup
Summary: Sirius and Remus think it's unfair that the only memories Harry has seen of Lily and the Marauders are from Snape's Pensieve. To make things right, they collect some of their own memories to gift to Harry.(russian translation: https://ficbook.net/readfic/10202453)
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	Memories of Us

**Author's Note:**

> i was always so bothered that no one ever thought to collect memories of harry's parents and the other marauders for him to watch, so here's this little fic. honestly, this was just an excuse to write some marauder's era drabbles and give harry something i thought he should have.

  
  


_“Harry’s heart skipped several beats._

_“I’d better go!” he said hastily and he pulled his head backward out of Grimmauld Place’s fire. For a moment his head seemed to be revolving on his shoulders, and then he found himself kneeling in front of Umbridge’s fire with his head firmly back on, watching the emerald flames flicker and die._

\--Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, page 672

Sirius and Remus stared at each other as Harry left, the flames of the Floo connection dying out.

“So,” Sirius said, “Harry saw James.”

“And Lily,” Remus echoed.

A couple of moments passed in silence, a longing for their days at Hogwarts thick in the air. Neither wanted to admit it first, but both men were jarred by the sour memory.

“It makes me so angry,” Sirius mumbled, fists clenched, “that all Harry has seen of his parents is that one terrible moment.” 

Remus nodded, but didn’t say anything. Sirius didn’t seem to notice.

“Lily and James were so much better than that.” Sirius said, a faraway look in his eyes. 

Remus nodded again.

“We’ve got to tell him about them. Pictures, letters, anything. He should know who his parents really were.” Sirius was red in the face, close to tears. Inside of himself, he knew that what he meant to say was that James didn’t deserve to have his only sons’ image of him to be a twisted, incomplete one from the filthy head of Severus Snape. James deserved better.

“Well,” Remus started, “we could, theoretically, collect our own memories of James and Lily for Harry to watch. You own a Pensieve, don’t you? He could use that to watch them in.”

Sirius gaped at Remus as if the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind once. Knowing him, it probably hadn’t. “You’re an absolute genius, Moony,” Sirius said, a smile starting to make its way on his face. “So simple… so brilliant. Bloody hell. I knew I kept you around for something.” 

Remus laughed, and pushed Sirius’s shoulder playfully. “You love me.”

***

It was three months after the war had ended, and Harry knew he had to face 12 Grimmauld Place at some point. Knowing that didn’t make it any easier, though. He’d lost too many people, had too many missed opportunities. Standing on the steps in front of the building only made him miss Sirius with a ferocity that hadn’t been present since that night in Dumbledore’s office, in the aftermath of Sirius’s death. 

He said the few spells needed to enter the house and stepped through the threshold. Inside was relatively clean; Kreacher must’ve been keeping busy. Harry had a plan to start making the place truly his, a home for him and Ginny, but the house seemed to beckon him upstairs. He was drawn to Sirius’s bedroom once again. It was untouched from the last time he’d been there. He could feel Sirius in every corner of the room, from the Gryffindor banners to the photos of motorcycles. The pile of letters in the corner, including the one from Lily. The photo of the Marauders on the wall. Harry watched the four boys laugh, arms around each other, and felt his heart tighten. 

This room was too much. Too much, too soon. Somehow it hurt more being here after the war; being able to look back at everything he could’ve done differently. He made his way to leave, but spotted a medium-sized box and letter on Sirius’s desk with his name on it. Harry’s heart beat even faster. _Was this from Sirius?_ How had he not noticed it when he was last here, nearly a year ago?

With shaking hands, he opened the letter. 

***

_April 1998_

_Dear Harry,_ _  
_ _There are so many things that you do not know. In the past sixteen years, I’ve nearly worn myself into an early grave thinking about how much you would know if things were different. And I suppose a large part of your ignorance is due to my selfishness. I’ve been utterly selfish, but I’m asking you to forgive me. When you lost a godfather two years ago, I lost everything I had._ _  
_ _This box holds an assortment of memories pulled straight from mine and Sirius’s heads. After you saw Professor Snape’s memory in the Pensieve, we wanted to give you some better memories of James, Lily, and us before they died. Some memories of them that reflected who they truly were._ _  
_ _About half of these are from Sirius, and the other half are from me. You’ll know which is which by looking at the initials on the bottom of each memory jar. There’s dates for each one we could remember, as well. We tried our best to sort them in chronological order, but it’s probably not perfect._ _  
_ _Sirius wanted to give you these as a present for your sixteenth birthday. As I write this, your eighteenth birthday just a few months away, I know he would’ve understood why I kept them. These memories he pulled for you were some of the last things I had left of him._ _  
_ _Merlin, there is so much you don’t know._ _  
_ _I have a wife, and I have a son, both of whom I love. But Harry, I need you to understand that if you spend too much of your life loving one person with every ounce of love you have inside you, nobody else can quite measure up._ _  
_ _That is why I kept these memories from you. I was grieving, and I needed them. Love makes us do selfish things. And as I sit here, thinking about my wife and son, I’m also thinking about you. Your parents. Sirius. Not a day goes by when I don’t miss each of them, and every day, the hole that they left in my life seems to grow deeper._ _  
_ _You deserve these memories. James and Lily deserve to have their son know them for who they truly were. Sirius deserves to have one of his last wishes, this present to you, be delivered. I deserve to try and force myself out of this silent grief I have culminated throughout my life._ _  
_ _As much as I am selfish, I am also a coward, and I’m certain I would not be able to give you these memories in person. Maybe it’s too late? You’re on the run, and the war rages on. I will deliver this letter and package to you as soon as it is safe and possible to do so. Now it’s on paper, and if I don’t follow through, I’ll have my own conscience to answer to._ _  
_ _Be well, Harry. Stay safe. Come visit soon; Dora and I would be delighted. Teddy would be, as well, if he were old enough to understand complex emotions yet._ _  
_ _With love,_ _  
_ _Remus J. Lupin_

Harry had to read the letter several times before the weight of Remus’s words really sunk in. He could hardly believe it. Everything he had wanted ever since he was a little boy, keepsakes of his parents, was in this box. Not even just keepsakes, _memories_. Memories that he could watch. He could see his parents again, see Sirius and Remus again. 

It was overwhelming, and it was all Harry could do to stop himself from tearing into the box right then and there. He needed a Pensieve. Remus must’ve had one, or there would be no sense in him keeping these memories. 

Out of sheer desperation, he said, “Accio Pensieve!” and to his surprise, Sirius’s lower left desk drawer shot open and a Pensieve came floating towards him. Harry grabbed it with both hands, almost wrinkling Remus’s letter while trying not to spill any of the silvery liquid or drop the thing altogether. 

His mind was in a million different places. He wanted more than anything to watch these memories, but Remus’s letter left a lot of questions unanswered. Questions that he wanted to talk to Remus about. Memories could fill in some of the answers, but could they replace conversation? Either way, the memories were all he’d get. 

He used his wand to open the box, and saw 14 little jars with shimmering, thick liquid. Each was closed with a cork. He remembered what Remus wrote about initials, and he picked up the first jar and flipped it over. It read, “SOB 10-71.” So this was from Sirius, September of 1971. Harry’s excitement was palpable as he uncorked the little jar and poured it into the Pensieve.

***

_SOB 10-71_

Harry felt himself fall through the fog of the memory, and landed right in the middle of a dorm room. It was dark, the only light coming from a lamp on the side of one of the beds, and four boys were hurrying around the room, getting ready for bed. Harry’s stomach flipped as he realized it was eleven year old James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, probably on their first night at Hogwarts. 

“Bugger, I’ve left my nightcap at home,” Sirius said, kneeling in front of his trunk. He was throwing items out of the trunk without any consideration for where they were landing. Harry would’ve gotten hit in the face with a couple of books by that point if he had actually been there. 

“Your nightcap _?_ ” James asked astoundedly. “Who wears a bloody _nightcap_ anymore?” 

Sirius looked affronted and opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Remus said, “My mum wears one. She says it keeps her hair shinier, something like that.”

Peter nodded. “So does mine.”

Sirius puffed up a bit. “See, mate, it’s not weird. Remus and Peter’s mums wear them.”

James burst into laughter. Harry couldn’t help but think of how eerily similar James’s laugh was to his own. 

“Their mums wear nightcaps, Sirius. Their mums. Who are middle-aged women.” James was still laughing as he spoke, beginning to develop hiccups. 

Sirius turned even redder, which Harry didn’t know was possible. “My entire family wears them! My dad and brother, too.”

James wiped the side of his eyes. “Yeah, whatever you say. I totally believe you.”

Sirius threw a sock at him. 

***

_RJL 2-72_

Harry landed in the Gryffindor common room this time. The fire was blazing, and in front of it sat Remus and Lily. They were the only people there, and Harry assumed it was late at night. She had her knees tucked into her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Remus was rubbing comforting circles on her shoulder. Harry’s heart broke when he noticed she was crying.

“I try so hard,” Lily sniffled, “and she still wants nothing to do with me. Do you know how many letters I’ve written her since the start of term? At least twenty. And she’s sent every single one of them back without even opening the seal.”

Remus nodded slightly, and said, “I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to respect what she wants. It’s better for you, too. You can’t keep hurting yourself like this. Seeing you upset makes me upset.”

He offered her a small smile, and she wiped her tears. “Thanks, Rey. Really.” She sighed shakily. “My friends are great, but they just wouldn’t get it like you do.” 

Remus ducked his head. Harry could tell she’d embarrassed him, after seeing him do that same gesture every time someone complimented his teaching. 

“I don’t know how you got to be such a nice person if you hang out with those prats all the time.” Lily said.

Remus looked up. “You mean James and Sirius?”

She nodded. 

“They’re not prats,” Remus started, “they’re just… a lot. They’re quite fun once you get to know them a bit.”

Lily laughed, and Harry thought it was the best thing he’d heard in his life. It was such a refreshing sound in comparison to her final scream before death that he’d heard in his nightmares so often. 

“I don’t know how much I agree with you on that,” Lily said, “but at least Peter’s alright.”

***

_RJL 11-72_

Harry was back in the Marauder’s dorm room. Remus was sitting on his bed, looking paler than Harry had ever seen him. Even sunlight from the window didn’t help his complexion. The other three boys were standing in front of him, and none of them looked like they wanted to speak first. 

“Look, Remus—” Sirius started, “we know. And it’s okay. We talked about it and we decided it’s okay.”

James nodded vigorously. “My parents always told me muggleborns and half-bloods are just as good as purebloods, so why shouldn’t that extend to werewolves, too?”

Remus flinched at the word _werewolves_. The other boys didn’t seem to notice. 

“You know you didn’t have to keep it from us, right?” Sirius said, “we won’t tell anyone. That’s what friends are for.”

Peter, who had been characteristically quiet throughout this whole exchange, piped up, “I’ll bet this makes you even more of a Gryffindor than any of the rest of us.”

James smiled and clapped Peter on the back. “Yeah! Especially having to do it all alone; that’s mighty Gryffindor of you, mate.”

Sirius suddenly jumped on Remus’s bed, enveloping him in a hug. “You’re our friend no matter what,” he said. 

James and Peter climbed on the bed and joined the hug. Remus was trying his hardest not to cry, as that wouldn’t be very Gryffindor of him. 

***

_SOB 4-73_

Harry was outside now, sitting on a windowsill with James and Sirius. It was nighttime, the only sounds being a few crickets and the low hums of the two boys’ voices. They were in their pajamas, but Sirius was wearing heavy black boots with the laces undone, and James had a jean jacket thrown on over his shoulders. 

“So are you gonna tell me why I keep finding you screaming in the middle of the night?” James asked, dangling his legs over the edge of the windowsill. 

Sirius kicked his feet against the wall and sighed. “Nightmares,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “it’s stupid, I know. Go on, laugh.” He turned his head. 

James stared at Sirius. “Well, obviously it’s nightmares. What are they about, is what I meant.”

It was Sirius’s turn to stare at James. “You don’t think nightmares are, like, I dunno—weak?” he asked. 

James looked incredulous. “No? Why would I?”

Sirius seemed to find this extremely confusing. “I-” he paused, unable to find words for what he was feeling. He was so much younger than he was when Harry knew him, but the worried eyebrow furrow was the exact same.

James seemed to understand. He leaned the side of his body into Sirius’s, put his head on his shoulder, and they sat like that until the memory faded. 

***

_SOB 8-73_

Harry landed in the same place he had been in before he jumped into the Pensieve—Sirius’s childhood bedroom. The light coming in was dim, and Harry could see the sun just starting to peek over the horizon. 

Sirius, with hair noticeably shorter than in the last memory, was huddled under a blanket with a smaller boy and his wand light illuminating the small space. They were whispering together excitedly. 

“You wouldn’t even believe how good the breakfasts are on weekends!” Sirius said, “If you thought regular breakfasts sounded good…”

The other boy laughed. “What else? What’s the Quidditch pitch like? How’s the common room?”

“Reggie, the Quidditch pitch is so big you need omnioculars to clearly see the other end.”

Harry could hear the authoritative tone in Sirius's voice, a result from trying to sound cool and mature in front of his little brother. He suddenly remembered that Sirius didn’t know Regulus had died a hero, and wondered why he still chose to include a memory about him.

“The common room is cozy and warm and red and there’s a huge fireplace with so many armchairs and couches around it—” Sirius said all in one breath, his eyes lighting up.

“Wait,” Regulus stopped him, “I meant the Slytherin common room. I don’t care about Gryffindor, I’m not going to be sorted there.”

Sirius looked at him, puzzled. “How would I know what the Slytherin common room looks like? I’m not a Slytherin, in case you forgot.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “Obviously. But don’t you have any Slytherin friends that you hang out with?”

“No.” Sirius made a face. “You know I don’t. I don’t need any slimy Slytherin friends. I’ve got my dorm mates.”

Regulus scowled. “Fine, be like that,” he said, and promptly left the room. 

The memory faded. 

***

_RJL 3-74_

Remus, Sirius, and Peter were sitting on the benches overlooking the Quidditch pitch. The sky was cloudy and dark, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. Harry noticed his dad on a broom, doing laps around the field. 

The three boys in the stands were huddled together for warmth, their breaths coming out in soft clouds. Remus was so bundled up in layers that only his eyes were visible underneath the mass of sweaters and scarves. 

Harry walked a little closer to them, and heard them muttering amongst themselves. 

“I was thinking we could have a great big banner in the common room with James’s face on it, and we can charm it so it sings Happy Birthday every hour,” Sirius was saying, tapping his gloved fingers restlessly on his knees. 

“Why would James’s picture sing Happy Birthday? Wouldn’t it make more sense four _our_ pictures to sing, seeing as it’ll be his birthday?” Remus asked, his voice muffled under his scarf. 

Peter nodded. “We could charm a picture of everyone in Gryffindor House on the banner, and they can all sing for him!” 

Sirius mulled this over, for a few seconds. “Alright. That doesn’t sound half bad. But how are we going to do it without him noticing before it’s done?”

The other two were quiet. Harry wished they could hear him—he was dying to help plan this little birthday celebration. After all, he never got to plan any of his dad’s birthdays when he had been alive. 

At that moment, James swooped in on his broom and landed on the stands in front of his friends. His hair was sticking up in every direction possible. 

“Alright, Potter?” Sirius said, “finally done?”

James took off his Quidditch goggles and flexed his fingers a few times. “Yeah I reckon I’m done.” He smiled wickedly, almost conspiratorially. “Race you all to breakfast!”

***

_SOB 9-74_

“Potter, Black, detention,” Professor McGonagall said in her thick Scottish accent. Harry turned around to see Sirius and his dad sitting in the Transfiguration classroom, identical looks of bewilderment on their faces. 

“But Minnie, we didn’t do anything!” Sirius complained, indignation in his voice. 

She raised an eyebrow at him and walked over to their shared table. She picked up a piece of parchment in front of James and read it. “Just as I thought,” she said, “So, according to you, Mr. Black, passing notes about how you plan to charm the entirety of Slytherin’s robes red tomorrow morning is ‘not doing anything’?”

She stared at him. 

Sirius gulped. 

“Technically, Professor,” James cut in, “we haven’t actually _done it_ yet, so you can’t really punish us for it.” 

“I can punish you for sending notes during class, Mr. Potter. Both of you, meet me in the Trophy Room after dinner tonight. And don’t bring your wands, you won’t need them.”

Sirius and James looked at each other and groaned. Lily turned to Remus, who was sitting right between her and Peter, and said, “Serves them right.”

Sirius turned around in his seat to look Lily in the eye, “Evans,” he whispered, so loud he might as well have just said it in his normal voice, “I thought you’d be totally on board with this prank after what Snivelly said to you last week.”

Lily turned bright red at the same time that McGonagall said, “Black! Do I have to make it a double detention?”

***

_RJL 12-74_

Remus sat sideways in his seat in a hidden corner of the library. Two plates with half-finished sandwiches were on the table, and Lily was next to him, furiously scribbling something in a Muggle notebook with a pencil. Her hair was tied up around her wand, and she had a bit of jam on her cheek. They were the only people there. Remus had his neck craned at a funny angle to read what Lily was writing upside-down. 

“And… done!” she said, putting her pencil down firmly on the table. 

Remus clapped. “Now all you have to do is send it.”

Her grin faltered immediately. “Darn, I forgot about that part.” She turned so she was sitting straight in her seat. “Do I have to?”

Remus gave her a look. “Lily.”  
  
She sighed. “I know, I know. You don’t have to give me the ‘Petunia needs to know how horrible and mean she’s being’ speech again.”

“You’re sure? Because I’m happy to do it again. I’m sick of how she treats you.”

Lily grimaced. “Yeah, I’m sure. She made me stay home for the holidays this year, she sort of deserves this.”

Remus smiled and stood up. “Well, if we’re done here, I need to get back to the dorm.” He picked up both of their forgotten plates. “Sirius said if I wasn’t back within the hour he’d charm all my stuff on the ceiling again.”

“Why don’t you just charm all his stuff up there, too? Serves him right.”

“I guess I could,” Remus said, “but that means going near his dirty laundry. Trust me, you want to stay as far away from his socks as possible.”

Lily laughed. “I’ll just take your word for it.”

***

_SOB 10-75_

Harry found himself standing in an empty Quidditch locker room, save for Sirius and James. Sirius was still wearing his Quidditch robes, but James was wriggling his way out of them and trying to pull jeans on at the same time. 

“I’m not kidding, Jamie.” Sirius said, gripping the bench he was sitting on. “I’m in love with him.”  
  
“Merlin, Sirius,” James sighed, “I _know_. You’ve said it a million times in the past month. Please just do something about it instead of whining to me, would you?”

Sirius scowled. “I’ve had to listen to you rattle on about Evans for the past four years, you prat.”

James sat down and shoved his feet in his sneakers. “Yeah, but that’s different. At least I try to ask her out. Plus, Evans isn’t a Marauder. You’re talking about Moony— _Moony_ , Sirius.”

“And?”

“I mean, I have nothing against it,” James said quickly, “you’re my best mates, I think you’d make a terrific couple,” he paused for a moment, “but he’s _Moony_.”

“Yes, James, you already mentioned who he was.” Sirius said. 

James let out a deep breath. “I just mean it’s a little weird to hear you talk about him like that without him knowing, you know? I feel like I’m going behind his back or something. You gotta tell him, mate.”

Sirius hunched over, picking at the skin around his nails. “I know, I know. I feel weird, too. Marauders Rule #7: Absolutely No Secrets.” He tutted. “I think it’s time we update that rulebook we made back in second year, you know?”

Harry’s suspicions from Remus’s letter were confirmed.

***

_SOB 8-76_

Harry landed in the middle of a living room that he didn’t recognize. It was large and airy, with a record player softly spinning what he recognized as The Beatles in the corner. Sirius and James were sitting on the floor in front of the couch, James with a telephone up to his ear, and Sirius with a sour look on his face. 

“Me and Peter’ll both be here, Moony,” James said into the phone, “you don’t have to talk to Sirius if you really don’t want to.”  
  
He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke again, “I know. Yes. I know. But we’re all still Marauders. I know what he did was terrible. Trust me, I’ve been yelling at him all summer. But me and Pete still want to see you, and I’m not leaving Sirius alone.”

Sirius’s frown deepened with every word James said. 

“Okay. Yup, tomorrow at 1. See ya, Remus.” He hung the phone up and looked at Sirius. 

Before he could speak, Sirius said, “He still doesn’t wanna see me.”

Harry realized they must’ve been talking about the prank that Sirius pulled on Snape. According to the memory’s date, this was the summer after fifth year. The timeline matched up. 

James put his hand on Sirius’s shoulder. “You gotta give him time, Padfoot.”

“It’s been months,” Sirius stated. “I’ve apologized to him every single day. What more’s left?”

“You hurt him a lot,” James said simply, “I don’t think you can put a time on how long it takes to recover from that.” 

He got up, turned the record player off, and turned back to Sirius. “C’mon, you can’t mope around for the whole day.”

***

_RJL 5-77_

This time, the Pensieve took Harry to a small balcony off the side of Gryffindor Tower. Harry recognized it as one that he and Ron would often go and sit on in the middle of the night to chat, in order not to wake their dormmates. 

Now it was almost dusk, the sky suspended between bright blue and hazy shades of orange. James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius were all sitting on the balcony floor, passing a cigarette amongst themselves. Lily was on James’s lap, her head leaning back against his shoulder. 

Sirius and Remus seemed to have made up—Harry did the math, and this was nine months after the previous memory. 

“I wish everyday was like this,” Lily sighed, passing the cigarette to Remus. “I just want to forget about everything and sit on this balcony forever.”

“Amen to that, Evans,” Sirius said, snatching the cigarette out of Remus’s mouth. Remus made a startled noise and went to grab it back, but Sirius held it over the edge of the railing. 

“I say we charm the Invisibility Cloak to be four times bigger and spellotape it over this balcony, so we can hide here for the rest of our lives.”

“Padfoot, I think my dad would go spare if we did that to the Cloak.” James chuckled. 

“He won’t be able to yell at us if we’re hiding under the cloak,” Remus pointed out, eyebrow raised. 

James nodded and turned away, suddenly wistful. Harry saw his eyes start to well up with tears. “I’d rather not hide from my dad right now, honestly,” he said.

Lily shifted in his lap until she was facing him, and rubbed his arm affectionately. “Has he gotten any better?”

He shrugged. “Mum sent a letter a few days ago. She says he’s getting better, but you never know, y’know?” 

Sirius passed him the cigarette. “Next time I see Dad I’m going to knock the dragon pox straight out of him. Just whack him upside the head and he’ll be cured.”

James laughed, some of the worry leaving his shoulders.

Remus shook his head, smiling. “Be sure to tell me how that goes, Pads.”

***

_RJL 11-77_

For a moment, Harry didn’t know where this memory took place. It was dark and damp, and whenever someone spoke, their voice echoed. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, and realized it was the secret passageway to Honeydukes. 

Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were walking down the passage, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, laughing and singing Happy Birthday extremely off-key. 

“Best bloody 17th birthday of my life,” Sirius said once the song ended.

James snickered. “Don’t you mean _only_ 17th birthday of your life?” 

“Tomato, potato, whatever,” Sirius detangled himself from the group and waved his hand absentmindedly. 

“Y’know, today’s not quite over yet…” Remus said, grinning. 

“And what are you insinuating with that, Mr. Moony?” James asked, a smile playing on his lips. 

“I am insinuating that we go back to Gryffindor Tower, wake everyone up, and finish this party there.” His words slurred slightly, and Harry realized they must’ve all been drinking. 

The other three boys voiced their approval at this plan. “I’ll race to the kitchens—see if the house elves are up to making some party food.” Peter said, then promptly turned into a rat and scurried away faster than his human legs could’ve taken him. 

“Alright, gentlemen,” James said, clapping his hands together once. “Let’s let the real fun begin.”

***

_SOB 9-79_

This time, Harry immediately knew where he was. A wedding! The audience was small—around ten people—all sitting on wooden chairs in the middle of a lovely field decorated with flowers, the leaves on the trees just starting to turn red and orange. 

Up at the altar, James already stood before the officiant. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all next to him in matching dress robes. Harry could see Sirius fiddling with a ring box, and he remembered that Sirius had been his dad’s best man. 

Harry found a comfortable spot near the front row to watch. First, three women that he didn’t recognize came down the aisle. They were wearing soft green dresses, a shade that Harry realized was both his and his mother’s eye color. They stood at the front, mirroring the Marauders. Harry suddenly noticed a piano near the back, charmed to play on its own. The piano began playing the wedding march, and Lily appeared in the aisle, accompanied by an older man that Harry assumed to be his grandfather. 

She was stunning. As she walked up to the altar, she stopped to give hugs to her friends and family in the audience. At the front, James was trying to hold back tears. 

Once Lily and James were finally standing across from each other, something in James seemed to break. A few tears fell down his face and he wiped them away with the sleeves of his dress robes. Lily looked dangerously close to crying too, but was holding it together pretty well (for the sake of her makeup, if nothing else). 

The wedding went on, and once the vows were coming to an end, most of the people there were in a similar emotional state as James had started out as. Sirius handed the rings over, final words were said, and it was all sealed with a kiss. 

Harry couldn’t help letting a tear escape, himself. 

***

_SOB 7-80_

The first thing Harry noticed in this memory was a loud squealing noise. He turned around a few times, and realized it was coming from a baby that Lily was holding. Was that him? He moved closer.

Lily and James were both dressed in Muggle hospital clothes. Lily was drenched in sweat and a little bit of blood, but she was smiling. James was so giddy he couldn’t hold his laughter in. His plastic coverwear crinkled as he moved around with glee. 

“So we’ve settled on a name, then?” James asked. “Harry James Potter?”

Lily rubbed the baby’s— _not the baby_ , Harry thought, _me. That’s me_ —head and looked up at James. “Yes, I rather like it. But the next one’s getting Lily as their middle name, I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl.”

James grinned. “I can live with that.”

A knock came at the door, accompanied with some shouting, “Oi! Are you two quite done with the gross part yet? I’d like to meet my godson.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Would you go open the door for that idiot?”

James was already halfway across the room, and when the door opened, three Marauders hurried in, excitement palpable on their faces. Sirius reached Lily first, and planted a messy kiss on the side of her face.

She laughed and wiped her cheek with her hand. “You’re going to have to learn better manners if you expect to raise my son if I die,” she said.

“Pfft,” Sirius dismissed her, “You won’t die. The universe wouldn’t be so cruel as to make me figure out how to be a dad.” He leaned across her shoulders, putting his face up close to Baby Harry.

“Who’s my widdle Prongslette?” He said in a high baby voice, “Who’s his godfather’s favorite person in the world? Is it you?” He paused to blow a raspberry at Baby Harry, “That’s right! It’s you!”

Sirius’s antics only caused Baby Harry to start shrieking again, and Remus pulled him back by the collar of his T-shirt. 

“Padfoot, you’re going to traumatize the poor kid before he even gets a chance to learn his own name,” he said, then paused. “What name _did_ you decide on, anyways?”

“Harry James Potter,” Lily and James said in unison.

***

Harry pulled himself out the Pensieve for the last time, completely dazed. His mind was too full to properly think, so he took hold of the memory jars and the Pensieve, and apparated to the Burrow.

He had been living there after the war, trying to rebuild his life before completely renovating Grimmauld Place. Ginny was still going back to Hogwarts for her seventh year. Harry knew he had plenty of time before they’d have to really move out. 

He apparated into the living room to find Ginny curled up on an armchair, flipping through a magazine. She looked up as he arrived and jumped to her feet, worried.

Harry understood the feeling. Even now, months after the war ended, it was so difficult to remember that safety was almost a guarantee. Everyone was still on edge. 

He put down everything he’d been holding and wrapped Ginny in a hug. He held her there for longer than usual, and if she found it odd, she didn’t say so.

Finally breaking apart, Harry collapsed on the couch. “Gods, Ginny,” he sighed. “You’ll never believe what I found in Sirius’s house.”

She sat next to him, close enough for their thighs to touch. “Oh yeah? Try me.”

He opened his mouth to tell her, but didn’t even know where to begin. “Can I show you?”

She nodded, and Harry grabbed the memories and the Pensieve. He was ready to relive the Marauder’s lives once more, but with his girlfriend by his side this time. 

**Author's Note:**

> in case you were wondering, i imagined lily's three bridesmaids to be mary, marlene, and dorcas!  
> find me on [tumblr](https://illiterategf.tumblr.com/)


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